Ex-Youth Enterprise Fund chief executive officer Josiah Moriasi who has been under suspension has finally been reinstated.
A statement by Cooperatives and MSME Cabinet secretary Simon Chelugui said Moriasi will now assume his previous role.
His reinstatement is in compliance with a court order issued three years ago.
In the ruling, the Employment and Labour Relations court ordered that the officer be given back his job while indicting the board for contravening his constitutional rights through wrongful and unfair dismissal.
“I wish to thank the CS, the PS, outgoing CEO and staff for the warm welcome. I commit to work with you to ensure we remain focused on serving the youth and attain the President’s vision for the Kenyan youth,” he said on Thursday.
Moriasi joined the board on October 21, 2016 on a three-year contract, which was to expire in October 2019.
He was, however, added another six months meaning he was to exit in April 2020.
A new board that had been formed voted to have him out and replace him with the Fund’s public relations manager Benson Muthendi on an acting capacity.
The development forced the CEO to challenge the matter in court.
Muthendi was appointed by the then Cabinet secretary for ICT Joe Mucheru.
The board, through chairman Victor Mwongera, had recommended the appointment of Judy Kimeto, the lending and investments manager.
However, the court had barred the board from terminating or dismissing Moriasi before his case is resolved.
It also ordered that the board be served with the application and set May 13, 2020 as the hearing date, or soon thereafter, as may be directed by the deputy registrar.
Moriasi had argued that the board disregarded performance evaluations conducted by State Corporations Advisory Committee in the last two years, which gave him a score of 86 and 89 per cent respectively.
At a board the meeting on April 27, the same year, some board members declined to consider the evidence that he had tendered to renew his term.
Moriasi says they debated the matter and voted on the resolution based on personal judgment.
“It is clear from the foregoing, that I was condemned, unheard and not presented with the purported evidence or given a chance to defend myself,” he says in the application.
He added that the four board members who supported his reappointment did so based on the evidence presented.
Samwel Kumba, Amos Mogeni, Joseph Birundu and Edna Atisa supported Moriasi’s reappointment because he had excelled based on past performance evaluation reports.
Those who opposed his reappointment are Youth PS Julius Korir, Grace Kibuku, Susan Mambo, Catherine Kasimu, and Roy Telewa. They were not convinced by his performance.
